Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach, but be careful what you ask for in the only California State Park (actually a state vehicular recreation area) open to off-highway vehicles. OHV enthusiasts come from around the United States to ride the constantly changing dunes.
Areas open to the public are reduced during the March-September snowy plover nesting season, but the scene nevertheless can be crowded.
Oceano Dunes is three miles south of Pismo Beach and about 12 miles south of San Luis Obispo.